March 20, 2010
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team shut out Harvard, 4-0, for its 10th consecutive victory Saturday afternoon at the San Diego Classic II at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs, who are receiving votes in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, improved to 18-8 with the win, while the Crimson fell to 4-12.
SDSU has outscored its opponents, 52-8, over the win streak with three of the victories coming against nationally ranked schools, two versus teams receiving votes in a poll and four against 2009 NCAA tournament teams.
The game was scoreless through the first four innings before San Diego State scored a pair of runs each in the fifth and sixth, respectively, both with two outs. In the fifth, sophomore Felicia Reifschneider (San Diego/Morse HS) drew a four-pitch walk and then stole second base. Senior Brittany Knudsen (San Diego/Escondido HS) followed with a single up the middle for the first run of the game. After stealing second, Knudsen scored when junior Eva Sahatdjian (Fresno, Calif./Fresno City College) laced a single up the middle.
With two outs in the sixth, junior Jen Wisneski (Riverside, Calif.) laid down a surprise bunt single. Sophomore Ashley Rose (Carondelet, Calif.), who reached on a fielder's choice, rounded second on the play and headed to third. The throw from Harvard first baseman Whitney Shaw, however, went low and wide of third base and all the way down the left field line. Both Rose and Wisneski scored on the miscue for the final two runs of the contest.
Knudsen had two hits and a walk to lead the Aztec offense, while Sahatdjian added two hits. Sophomore Justeen Maeva (San Diego/Mira Mesa HS/Cal State Bakersfield), junior Traci Wolf (Lancaster, Calif.) and Wisneski each added a single apiece.
Three pitchers combined for the five-hit shutout for SDSU. Junior Brooke Petty (San Diego/Vista, Calif.) got the start and did not allow a hit over two innings, striking out one. Freshman Kamerin May (Corona, Calif.) replaced Petty in the third and gave up three hits over 2 1/3 innings of scoreless play. Sophomore Bailey Micetich (Woodland, Calif.) finished the shutout with two-hit ball over the final 2 2/3 frames. She struck out two en route to her third save of the season.
San Diego State welcomes No. 22/20 Texas A&M at 10 a.m. Sunday.
San Diego Classic II SDSU Softball Stadium March 20, 2010
San Diego State 4, Harvard 0 San Diego State (18-8) 000 022 0 -- 4 7 1 Harvard (4-12) 000 000 0 -- 0 5 1 Petty, Ka. May (3), Micetich (5) and Sahatdjian; Ferri, Black (6) and Pledger Win: Ka. May (2-0); Loss: Ferri (0-4)